Civil Legal Aid

Unlike criminal defendants, low-income people with civil legal problems, involving issues such as child custody, domestic violence, housing, health care, employment, government benefits and elder issues, are not eligible for court-appointed attorneys. They rely on the availability of limited legal aid programs; this is often the only way in which basic human needs for health, safety and housing can be met.

If you are a lawyer or advocate on behalf of low-income Massachusetts residents, visit MassLegalServices.org for legal information on benefits, employment, family law, immigration, CORI, and more.

Leaders from the legislative, civic, and legal communities in Massachusetts discuss the importance of civil legal aid in this video made possible by a grant from the National Association of IOLTA Programs.

Boston Bar Association Civil Legal Aid Task Force Report

In 2014, the Boston Bar Association’s Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal aid in Massachusetts produced the report Investing in Justice: A Roadmap to Cost-Effective Funding of Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts. This study, the result of comprehensive analysis of civil legal aid’s impact on the state, found that every dollar invested in civil legal aid returns between two and five dollars to the state and its residents. Read the full report to learn more about how lack of access to civil legal aid affects low-income people, the courts, and the state’s economy.